Help - wont nap in cribs! And they cat nap!

Ok, my 3 month olds REFUSE to sleep in their cribs during the day. In fact, they are cat-nappers at best, 20 minutes here, 10 minutes there. Every now and then one will sleep for a few hours during the day (AlWAYS in their swings), but its only one at a time and sporatic at best. When I put them down in their cribs during the day, they bounce right back up within 5 minutes. I have just started letting them fuss a bit after I've put them down in the crib during the day, but I can't for long because they wake up my napping 21 month old. (tiny house!) At night, they go down in their respective cribs just fine , and sleep at least 5 hours before getting up, then sleep another 2 or 3.

What's the difference?

So My questions are these

1) How do other twin moms get their babies to nap in their beds? HELP!

2) And what's with the cat naps? Babies need more sleep than this during the day! HELP!

HELP!

 

QUOTE(AimeeB @ May 2 2008, 02:22 PM) [snapback]752554[/snapback]
Ok, my 3 month olds REFUSE to sleep in their cribs during the day. In fact, they are cat-nappers at best, 20 minutes here, 10 minutes there. Every now and then one will sleep for a few hours during the day (AlWAYS in their swings), but its only one at a time and sporatic at best. When I put them down in their cribs during the day, they bounce right back up within 5 minutes. I have just started letting them fuss a bit after I've put them down in the crib during the day, but I can't for long because they wake up my napping 21 month old. (tiny house!) At night, they go down in their respective cribs just fine , and sleep at least 5 hours before getting up, then sleep another 2 or 3.

What's the difference?

So My questions are these

1) How do other twin moms get their babies to nap in their beds? HELP!

2) And what's with the cat naps? Babies need more sleep than this during the day! HELP!

HELP!

I don't have any advisc on this topic yet, as I am going to try and put my 3 months old down in their cribs for their naps (they too sleep in their swings for catnaps here and there), so I'll be checking back on this post to see what other moms have for advice.

 

are you very consistent trying to get them down for their 1st nap after brief wakefullness in the morning?

This is the exact age where the book Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child came in VERY handy to me. This is also the exact age that you should really notice some obvious sleep patterns starting.
If it weren't for that book, I'm pretty sure I'd have missed the signs even though my twins weren't my 1st babies.

If you're consistent already, I bet in the next week or 2 you should see some patterns emerging.

 

My twins have always slept in their cribs. In the same one at first until they started to wake each other all the time. Now they have separate rooms.
I let mine fuss a bit and insert paci's. I dont know what you can do if you cant let them fuss long b/c of your toddler!! And as for sleeping fine at night - well that has probably become a habit. Which is what napping in their cribs during the day needs to become IMO. I think I just started getting to know my twins at about 3 months (first time Mum). I read a lot on here about EAT - PLAY - SLEEP. In whichever order. If my babies wake before 45 mins, I put them back to bed after I have checked and shhhed them. DS is mighty cranky if he doesn't get enough sleep, he only needs to grizzle for 5 mins and I know he's still tired - back to bed for you!!!
These days 5-6 out of 10 times I can pick them up and put them in bed without a sound.
I have never rocked my twins, and it never occured to me to let them sleep in their swings. When they are asleep I want them out of the way so i can get some cleaning done!!
HTH
Good Luck

 

QUOTE
This is the exact age where the book Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child came in VERY handy to me


Yep, I agree 100%. I am almost finished with this book and it has helped A LOT! What he says is that they should have 3 naps during the day. The first should be 2 hours after waking, the next around 1:00 and the final one around 5:00.

My boys wake around 7:00 a.m. By 9:00 they are down for a nap in their cribs for about 45 minutes. At 1:00 they go down for a good 3 hour nap (also in their cribs). The 5:00 nap is usually pretty short, maybe 30 minutes and that ends up being where ever they are either in the bouncy or swing. I then get them ready for bed with a bath and final feeding. They are put down for the night between 7 - 7:30.

The book really stresses being on a schedule and making sure they take naps in their cribs. I always let them sleep in their swing or bouncy, but looking back, they never slept very long.

I now plan my days around their naps. If I need to go out with them, I try to do it between 10:00 - 1:00 so I do not disturb their nap time.

I ordered the book used off of Amazon and only paid around $6, well worth it!!

Good Luck

 

I can't help with the cat napping. My boys always took good long naps (2-3 hours), but wouldn't sleep well at night (2-3 hours at a time). Of course, their naps were in their swing/bouncy seat. Actually they slept in their car seats until 4 months. Once they slept in the cribs at night, I was able to get Ryan to nap in his crib (though much shorter naps). Jake would scream the entire time. It was just last month that I was able to get Jake to nap in the crib. It started as 20 mins and has gradually worked it's way up to 1hr 15mins. I didn't want to do CIO (even a mild form) until they were 6 months. It was a long 6 months!

 

My twins are also 3 months old and have started this new trend as well. They refuse to nap in their cribs during the day unless I swaddle them really tight. THey have no problem going down at night, swaddled. I have been putting them in their car seats during the day, it seems it is the only way I can get them to nap for more than 10-20 minutes. I also have the swing that the car seats snap into, and I have resorted to that a few times as well. I have no great advice, just letting you know that you are not alone. They used to nap all the time in their cribs, this is just something new.. GOod Luck

 

I also followed the advice of HSHHC, but a little later. I didn't work on consistent naps in the crib until they were STTN at 4.5 months. Up until then, I found their favorite place to nap, and let them do it there.

 

Thanks for all the replies - Im anxious to hear how other Mom's have gotten their babies to sleep in the crib during the day!

 

Mine will nap in their cribs...but cat naps also. They usually have one good nap a day between about 11am and 1pm...today not so good, but hopefully tomorrow back on track with that. But the rest of the time, very short naps. I am watching for signs of tiredness, trying not to let them stay up for longer than 90 minutes.

Dianna

 

OMG, I have the same problem with them not napping in the crib during the day. I was beating myself up and getting really depressed because "I" wanted them to sleep in their crib. Just within the past few days I decided to let them sleep wherever they wanted during the day which is usually the bouncer and occas. the swing and guess what they go to sleep and stay asleep most of the time. I fortunately don't have cat nappers, do you use white noise? I find it helps because I have a 17 mo. old who is loud and it blocks his noise out. Take it easy and good luck!

 

You are SOO totally not alone here!

They are a little young yet for the napping to fall into place.. so, don't beat yourself up too much.

Mine still hate their naps but they STTN beginning at 14 weeks adjusted age so I really cannot be too upset over the nap deal.

The one and only way mine will sleep in their cribs during the day is with vacuum noise. They could cry all day long in there if there wasn't a vacuum cd playing.

I discovered this out of SHEER desperation when they were 14 weeks adjusted or 19 actual.

Try the vacuum and if it works, order the vacuum noise cd off of Amazon. I love mine.

Like I said, at nite, not a peep. I have always put them down WIDE awake at 6:00 pm and do not hear from either of them until 6:30 am on the button. Naps- not soo great

They are 45 minute nappers and always have been.. If one "slips up" and goes longer I panic and check for signs of life. I have accepted that they are shorter nappers and now that I have come to terms with it instead of fighting it- I'm cool with it!

Good luck. Try the vacuum and TIME. They are young and neurologically not "getting" the nap thing YET.

 

First, I just want you to know that not all babies are the same and what works for others may not work for you. So please do not get discouraged if you try some suggestions here and they don't work. Also, do not feel like you have to live by some book. I think it is important to gather as much information as you can, but at the end of the day you do what works for you and your babies.

But here is what I do:

My girls take their morning and afternoon nap in their crib (it is side carred to out bed). I never had them nap in swings or bounce seats, mainly because I didn't have two of them and I just started out putting them to sleep for all naps in the bassinet (downstairs in living room) and then night in the crib. I started putting them in their crib for naps when they got out of that newborn sleepy stage and my older ds was waking them downstairs. I stopped swaddling at 5 weeks and started to put down on their stomaches. They go down 1.5 hours after waking. The last nap is another story. I have got them to take it twice in the crib. I usually go for a walk or run errands and they sleep in their car seats or stroller. If we are home they sleep in slings or on me.

My suggestion is to start with the morning nap. It is the first to get consistent. Don't feel like you have to do it all at once.

At far as cat napping. My girls will almost always wake around 30 - 45 min after they go down. They don't really want to get up, but are just transitioning from a brief awaking and need a little help. So I do not get them out of the crib. First I wait to see if they settle themselves (sometimes they do), if not then I pat their bottoms. They fuss and do a little crying but nothing that escalates. I stop the patting when they stop fussing but are not fully sleeping. They go back to sleep and on average the morning nap is 1.5 - 2.5 hours and the afternoon around 1.5 - 2 hours. That last nap is still a pain. But we are working on it.

I think the key to longer naps is to do whatever you can to get them to go back to sleep. They most likely are not ready to get up.

Now, my older ds would not sleep anywhere but in our arms for the first 3 - 4 months. So, it really depends alot on the baby.